Plans for Queens skatepark get underway with consultations with skaters

Tristan Robar and Seth Harding hold up a picture of what they’d like to see in the future Queens Skatepark. A consultation was held by the Jim Barnum, the lead designer on the project, and the skateboarding community on April 25.

LIVERPOOL - The Queens Skatepark Association held a meeting on April 25 that got the ball rolling on the plans for the up and coming skatepark.

Jim Barnum, founding president and designer/project manager of Spectrum Skateparks Inc. led the meeting in the community room at Queens Place Emera Centre.

Spectrum was announced as the design firm for the project at a Region of Queens council meeting on March 8.

Barnum’s company is based in Vancouver and has designed over 170 skateparks worldwide including some well known Nova Scotian parks, like the one at the Halifax Commons.

Skateboarders of all ages attended the meeting, including some who had pushed for a skatepark back in the 90s. Brad Rowter, the municipality’s director of engineering and works also attended.

Barnum explained the main types of parks including street, plaza, and organic, and what sort of parks his company has designed. Skateparks can contain all kinds of features including ramps, bowls, rails, and even aesthetic features that can be skated on such as statues.

After that the participants broke off into groups and used large pieces of paper to describe or draw what they want to see as a skatepark.

Everything from the distance and flow between features to the sound and feeling of different surfaces was brought up at the meeting.

“You want to enjoy your skating, not watching if you hit something,” said Wess Harding. “You want somewhere to be able to roll - there’s no better feeling than going from what we’re skating with is asphalt to brand new concrete and having room to just… hear nothing.”

The participants also expressed interest in having an area for young children to learn to skateboard so that the sport gets passed on to the next generation.

More meetings will be scheduled in the future. The skatepark is set to open this fall next to Queens Place Emera Centre.

Jim Barnum, founding president and designer/project manager of Spectrum Skateparks Inc. led the meeting in the community room at Queens Place Emera Centre.

Spectrum was announced as the design firm for the project at a Region of Queens council meeting on March 8.

Barnum’s company is based in Vancouver and has designed over 170 skateparks worldwide including some well known Nova Scotian parks, like the one at the Halifax Commons.

Skateboarders of all ages attended the meeting, including some who had pushed for a skatepark back in the 90s. Brad Rowter, the municipality’s director of engineering and works also attended.

Barnum explained the main types of parks including street, plaza, and organic, and what sort of parks his company has designed. Skateparks can contain all kinds of features including ramps, bowls, rails, and even aesthetic features that can be skated on such as statues.

After that the participants broke off into groups and used large pieces of paper to describe or draw what they want to see as a skatepark.

Everything from the distance and flow between features to the sound and feeling of different surfaces was brought up at the meeting.

“You want to enjoy your skating, not watching if you hit something,” said Wess Harding. “You want somewhere to be able to roll - there’s no better feeling than going from what we’re skating with is asphalt to brand new concrete and having room to just… hear nothing.”

The participants also expressed interest in having an area for young children to learn to skateboard so that the sport gets passed on to the next generation.

More meetings will be scheduled in the future. The skatepark is set to open this fall next to Queens Place Emera Centre.

Jim Barnum listening to participants in the meeting discuss their ideas for the skatepark.

Background

Funds for the skatepark have been raised by the Queens Skatepark Association since 2011 and over $270,000 was raised by the group. A further $58,000 has also been pledged to the association.

The Region of Queens Municipality is also a partner in the project and made in kind donations of land and labour for the skatepark. Those donations are valued at over $200,000. The municipality manages the project and holds the association’s funds in a trust.

The skatepark will likely be over 12,000 square feet, however that number is not set in stone. Construction is set to begin this summer.